BYU FOOTBALL
Dec 23, 2024, 11:01 AM
Former Skyridge High star and Texas Longhorns DE Tausili Akana is transferring to BYU Football. (Laura Seitz, Deseret News)
(Laura Seitz, Deseret News)
BY
KSL Sports
PROVO, Utah – Former Texas Longhorns EDGE rusher Tausili Akana is now a BYU Cougar.
Akana announced his commitment to BYU on Monday on X and Instagram.
Cougar Nation I’m Home! pic.twitter.com/IZklqYPUCV
— Tausilinu’u Akana (@AkanaTausili) December 23, 2024
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound defensive end has been with the Texas Longhorns for the past two seasons. Akana, a native of Hawaii, played high school football at Skyridge High School in Lehi.
Coming out of Skyridge High School, Akana was a four-star prospect and the No. 52 overall ranked recruit in the country. After two seasons at Texas, Akana was rated by 247Sports as a three-star prospect in the transfer portal and the 40th overall EDGE rusher in the 2025 portal cycle.
Akana appeared in three games during his two seasons on the Forty Acres.
He will arrive at BYU with three years of eligibility remaining.
BYU has a pressing need for defensive linemen after the Cougars will lose Tyler Batty, Isaiah Bagnah, and Logan Lutui off the edge due to graduation. However, BYU is replenishing the talent by adding Akana and fellow four-star in the 2022 high school recruiting class, Hunter Clegg.
During his senior year at Skyridge High School, Akana recorded 70 tackles, 14.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, 22 pressures, and one forced fumble.
Akana comes from an athletic family. His father, Brandyn Akana, was a former basketball player at BYU-Hawaii. His mother, Joselyn, played volleyball at Hawaii, and his sisters played Division 1 volleyball.
Tausili Akana visited BYU last week and attended BYU basketball’s game against Florida A&M.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
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